Churu: Brothers held for raping minor Dalit girl

Two brothers have been arrested in Churu district of Rajasthan after a minor Dalit girl accused them of raping her, police on Thursday said.

The men had on May 1 allegedly told the girl that her mother, who had been working in a different part of Ratangarh town in district, was ill and took her to Bikaner where they sexually assaulted her, police said.

The accused, identified as Mahendra (19) and Jitendra (23), were known to the girl. All are residents of Ratangarh.

“She was alone at her house in the evening when they came and told her that her mother was ill,” Ratangarh deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Narayan Dan said.

The girl’s parents are daily wage labourers and take up work in different parts of Ratangarh.

“The brothers said that they will take the girl to her mother and she agreed. They, however, took her to Bikaner,” the DSP added.

When she didn’t return home in the night, her parents lodged a missing complaint with the police. “A police team found her in Bikaner the next day and brought the girl home,” the DSP added.

Police said the girl informed her mother that she had been raped a couple of days later, following which the father lodged an FIR. The girl’s medical examination confirmed rape.

As the parents were not sure of the girl’s age, another medical was conducted, which showed that she was a minor aged between 15-17 years.

“The girl is a member of SC community. Her parents are labourers and she is uneducated,” Dan said.

The accused have been jailed under Sections 363, 376 and 325 of IPC, POCSO Act and Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

JAIPUR: